MERGE
The second album from Melbourne’s Cable Ties is their first for Merge Records and it fits neatly within the roster’s selection of frenetic indie rock. There are hooks aplenty on this record, as it careers through riot grrl snarl to fuzzed-out alt-rock – resembling everyone from Wipers to Sleater-Kinney along the way. It’s an unrelentingly high-octane album, guitars are frequently in overdrive and semi-shouted vocals wail and snarl. There’s an anger and punch to Far Enough that is reflected in the lyrics, which focus on issues of the time, but the band manage to avoid falling into simply raging polemic. Musically, the album covers pretty well-worn ground, but there’s an undeniable vivacity to the delivery, along with a seamless knack for melody that makes it a gritty, potent, yet rewarding listen.